1. Technical Field
This invention relates to alignment accessories and, more particularly, to an alignment accessory for portable drills and the like.
2. Prior Art
The prior art shows a wide variety of devices for guiding hand-held electric drills. One common type of guide device acts by constraining the drill bit itself. Many of the guides of this type employ bushings to hold the bit. Such guides can only be used with drill bits that fit the bushings provided. Another drawback is that extra-long bits are often called for, since they must be long enough to pass through the bushing and still drill a sufficiently deep hole.
Another common type of drill guide is that in which the drill is affixed to a moveable stage or rod whose motions are guided. Many of the guides in this category offer a variety of features. However, affixing the drill to the stage can be a difficult and time consuming process. Two popularly used guides from this group offer a number of useful features and also have simple designs which can be manufactured economically.
To use either of these devices, the chuck is removed from the drill and screwed onto one end of the device, while the body of the drill is screwed onto the other. However, chuck removal can be a difficult process. To loosen a standard drill chuck, the chuck key is inserted and banged sharply with a mallet or piece of wood. The user must be aware that the chuck has a reverse thread. With reversing drills, it is also necessary to remove a reverse-threaded screw inside the chuck. Also, not infrequently, chucks become jammed and refuse to loosen. Once the guided holes have been made it may then be necessary to remove the drill from the guide and reassemble it. Consequently, the use of these guides may not be worthwhile when only a small number of guided holes are to be drilled. Furthermore, is difficult to drill along vertical surfaces with such a guide.
The prior art discloses another guide which has a number of useful features and does not require that the drill be affixed to a moving stage. With this device, a specially designed cylindrical drill is set up simply by inserting it into a tubular guide. The drill is then guided by a sliding action. However, unlike an ordinary drill, where the grip projects from the side, this drill has a “saw-type” handle attached to the end, where it will not interfere with the guide tube. The cylindrical drill housing also appears bulkier than that of an ordinary drill, to the extent that a user probably could not wrap his or her hand around it. These factors would make the drill difficult to handle when drilling holes without the guide.
Such a guide is apparently constructed of an opaque material, providing “a window (opening) through which the tip of the drill bit may be visually observed”. This type of construction would interfere with the illumination of the work piece and would only permit viewing from a certain angle. This arrangement also fails to provide eye protection, since there is no protective transparent material directly between the viewer's eye and the drill bit. The guide also includes two retractable legs which may be extended to tilt the guide for drilling angled holes. While this is a useful feature, it would be preferable if only a single member required adjustment for drilling angles. The patent also notes that longer bits may be required for drilling angled holes.
Accordingly, a need remains for an alignment accessory for portable drills and the like in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a drill alignment accessory that is easy and convenient to use, accurate, provides time and cost savings, and results in an improved job quality. Such an alignment accessory ensures that the drill remains perpendicularly positioned to the work surface for an effortlessly and straight drilled hole. The alignment accessory for portable drills and the like can be utilized by commercial workers such as trades people, construction laborers, and general maintenance personnel. Do-it-yourself enthusiasts can also benefit from the use of the alignment accessory.